Queen Esther and the Nazis

I never doubted that the God who watched over my grandmother in Nazi Germany would watch over me as well.

Life in Frankfort in the 1930s was like the morning before a thunderstorm -- clear blue skies and a brisk breeze, with threatening gray clouds massed on the horizon and ominous rumblings of thunder in the distance. Nevertheless, the Jews of that city managed to maintain a normal existence, and their children for the most part enjoyed a carefree childhood. The famed Hirsch Realschule continued to educate children as it had for generations, while being careful to keep the Jewish children off the streets when the gentile children got out of school.

In such a society did my grandmother, Berta, and her siblings grow up. Raised in a proudly Orthodox home, she absorbed at a young age the lesson imparted by the fraulein in school: "Gutt is uber alles" -- God is over us all.

As the years passed and Hitler rose to power, many Jews attempted to leave Germany before it was too late. Although some managed to escape, it was soon clear that for the vast majority there were precious few places to run. The world was turning its back on the Jews. The wise fraulein would say to Berta's class, "There is nowhere left for us to go. Gutt is uber alles. God is over us all. If He wishes to save us, He will."

Then came Kristallnacht.

Berta's father, a Polish emigre, was shipped to the concentration camp of Sachsenhausen, from where many never returned. Frantic, as their father's fate hung in the balance, Berta's family discovered that many detainees were being granted their freedom on the condition that they leave the country immediately. But where could they go? The doors of the world's great democracies were slammed shut in their faces.

Berta's family managed to obtain false Venezuelan visas, and thus armed, the 16-year-old Berta made her way to the SS headquarters to plead for her father's life. She was granted his freedom on the condition that he leave the country within 24 hours. Germany does not have many ports, however, and that day only one ship, the Orazio, was leaving the country from Hamburg. Berta contacted the shipping company in the hopes of securing place on board for the family, or at the very least for her imprisoned father, but the anti-Semitic shipmaster refused to allow a Jew on board. The desperate family pleaded for standing room in any corner available, even in the bathrooms, but to no avail.

Defeated, Berta returned the next day to SS headquarters, only to be greeted by an incredulous Nazi captain. "Are you still here?" he questioned, and then burst out laughing. "Your God must be watching over you. The ship that you did not board yesterday exploded as it left the harbor." Impressed with Berta's courage, he permitted the family to travel to Italy, where they boarded the Augustus, the last ship to leave Europe before Italy joined the war. As the ship steamed towards the unknown world of Venezuela, Berta once again repeated her teacher's wise words, "Gutt is uber alles. God is over us all. If He wishes to save us, He will."

Although the story of her family's survival was devoid of obvious miracles, Berta always recognized God's presence in her life.

Throughout the years, Berta never doubted the hand of God in her life. Compared to the stories of many other survivors, (including her own husband), her story seems tame, almost commonplace. Her entire family simply left Europe before the full fury of the Holocaust was unleashed. The fact that they narrowly avoided being blown to bits in the Hamburg harbor can be attributed to mere coincidence, a fortunate, but in no way miraculous, occurrence. To Berta, however, the Divine Hand guiding her footsteps has always been clear. Although the story of her family's survival was devoid of obvious miracles, Berta always recognized God's presence in her life.

Over the next half a century, she trained generations of her children, grandchildren and students to do the same; and many of her acquaintances, Shabbos guests and students attribute their commitment to Judaism to her. Her students remember her warmth, her dedication, and her unswerving belief in the Almighty. In her inimitable German accent, she taught them all to say, "Gutt is uber alles. God is over us all."

This month we celebrate the holiday of Purim and read Megillat Esther, which chronicles the survival of the Jewish people in ancient Shushan. Megillat Esther is unique among the books of the Torah in that the name of God is not mentioned at all. The megillah contains no obvious miracles; its events can be read as a combination of lucky coincidence and chance historical events. It was mere chance that a drunken King Achashverosh ordered his wife Vashti killed and unknowingly appointed a Jewish woman as her successor. Fortunate coincidence determined that Mordechai saved the life of the king, and that the wicked Haman came to request his execution on the very night when King Achashverosh had decided to reward him. All the random events of the megillah combined to affect the salvation of the entire Jewish nation without one mention of the name of God.

Queen Esther, however, never doubted His Hand, and established Purim as a day to acknowledge God's constant, though hidden, presence in our lives. (Indeed, many communities and families throughout the ages have established private Purims in order to commemorate a personal salvation.) To me, it is no coincidence that my Bubby Berta was born on the first day of Adar, and on that very day, 17 years later, escaped the shores of Europe with her family. Like Queen Esther of old, her story contains no obvious miracles, but her faith in the hand of God has been unwavering. And like Queen Esther, she gave over her belief in God's constant presence in her life to the coming generations. Like all of Bubby Berta's grandchildren, I grew up never doubting that the God who watched over my Bubby in Nazi Germany would watch over me as well.

In my own personal, though hidden, miracle, my oldest daughter was born on Bubby Berta's birthday; a further validation of what she has always taught me. Gutt is uber alles. God is truly over us all.

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About the Author

Shoshana Greenspan holds an MS in special education and has taught in a
number of Jewish institutions. She also works as a writer for a number of
publications and organizations. She lives in Jerusalem with her husband and
children.

The opinions expressed in the comment section are the personal views of the commenters. Comments are moderated, so please keep it civil.

Visitor Comments: 25

(23)
Anonymous,
January 29, 2013 11:02 PM

No coincidence!

How can you say that "they narrowly avoided being blown to bits can be attributed to mere coincidence", and that it was "in no way a miraculous occurrence"? There is no such thing as "coincidence". They very definitely received a miracle. The hand of the Almighty was protecting them so that they did not have to go through the Holocaust. Is that not a most wonderful miracle?

(22)
harold,
June 9, 2010 11:15 AM

GOD does not play dice with our lives

GOD is in control....he is in control of everything!

(21)
Anonymous,
June 9, 2010 11:15 AM

Nothing is coincidence.

When events happen simultaneously or at different times and we in our minds form a cause and effect, it does not matter whether the individual thinks that this is a coincidence or not. g-d directs the world and whether or not we understand the events of our personal lives or not, that is not relative. G-d is constantly in control. We are presently living in a time where the hand of G-d is not easily discerned. That does not mean that He is not in charge of what is happening. Perhaps the simplest example is the familiar story of how an individual feels devastated htat he missed a plane that was destroyed a few hours after it had been in flight. We do not know why the passengers on the flight died nor do we know why this individual was slat ed to live. A believer can only believe that the world is controlled by G-d and nothing is a coincidence. I am delighted that the family survived but believe me, this was not a matter of coincidence.

(20)
Anonymous,
June 9, 2010 11:14 AM

Translation question

I really enjoyed reading about the extraordinary saving of the family. My question is, wouldn't the translation be, Hashem is over everything/ The story says the phrase means, Hashem is over all of us. I think the word, "Alles" means everything, not, everyone.

Anonymous,
March 6, 2012 3:40 PM

yes, you are right, "Alles" means everything, NOT everyone!

Evelyn Murphy,
January 1, 2016 6:09 AM

You're RIGHT.

I am bi-lingual and lived and majored in German, so you can takethis on good authority. You're absolutely correct. rem

(19)
Anonymous,
June 9, 2010 11:14 AM

Curious

I'm curious about how Berta got to the states - which I assume she did.

(18)
Ahuva,
June 9, 2010 11:13 AM

Heart Warming

There must be thousands of similar stories, yours was written with our soul in mind! I also had a grandmother who against all odds survived horrible circumstances and lived till she was 96! Please keep sharing your story with everyone and believe that G-d is watching over us - we are ready to do what it takes to survive, since it is in our blood!

(17)
Yocheved,
June 9, 2010 11:13 AM

Response to Manny Bekier

We don't understand G-d's ways. But we see in the Torah that from the inception of our nation, G-d has protected every single Jew. In these times of exile, His hand is hidden, and we do not see His protection clearly through open miracles, therefore I agree with you to some extent in that we must put in our hishtadlus and effort to protect ourselves. Just as Berta's family put in their efforts to save themselves. But we still must recognize that it is only through G-d that our efforts come to realization. We can't pretend to even begin to understand why G-d unleashed the Holocaust on our nation, but we must believe that He had His reasons (not necessarily clear reward vs. punishment, but because He knows the time for each person to die) for choosing to save those whom He saved and for not saving those who perished.

(16)
amazed,
June 9, 2010 11:12 AM

incredible and with depth

How amazing that it appears the evil Nazi yemach shemo was turned into an agent of help through simple bitachon. There is also possibly depth to the teaching "Gott ist uber alles". L'havdil, the German national anthem at the time began with the line "Deutchland uber alles". By saying this the teacher was surely clearly and knowingly imparting that we don't believe in Germany - we believe in Hashem. This is a lesson we can take today. We don't believe in America - we believe in Hashem.

(15)
Manny Bekier,
June 9, 2010 11:12 AM

nice but naive

Berta was most fortunate and I'm happy for her, but to say Gutt is uber alles, I find troubling. Was there divine protection for our 6 million Jews that were brutally murdered? So many of them were rightious and so many that survived were far from rightious or observant. My problem with "Gutt is uber alles" is that it makes some of us naively complacent. If we are to survive, we need to be proactive and do all we are capable of, with regard to our survival. This is what Israel is doing, and needs to do.

(14)
Tal,
June 9, 2010 11:12 AM

Amazing, amazing story!
It confirms to me what I've read on another post. If we were to KNOW that God is directing our lives for the best. Why have any worry?

(13)
ruth berkovits,
April 30, 2008 10:29 AM

Emuna and bitachon above all else for my grandfather

As our family was sitting at the seder table the second night my father may he live til 120 related the story of how he survived the war. He described as a young man when Hitler Yimach Shmo invaded Sosnowicz, Poland. He survived due to his emunah and bitachon. When he came to these shores in February 1952, after leaving a lucrative position in Malmo, Sweden, he again experienced presecution of another sort. He was fired from his job as a printer every week. Finally, B"H he found one position where he worked for someone who was also Shomer Shabbos. My father later on opened his own business in Boro Park and then retired a few years ago. My father and mother are now retired and are reaping much Yiddish nachas from four generations. I told my father years ago that since he took care of Shabbos, Shabbos took care of him.

(12)
AN ANSWER!,
March 20, 2008 2:01 PM

TO GARRY KATZ

they didnt have enough emunah and/or merit i hashem didn't survive, those that did, survived

(11)
Gary Katz,
March 19, 2008 11:55 AM

Speculation

I wonder if that ship still would have blown up, if the captain had allowed the Jewish father to board.Stories like this are inspiring, but don't answer the much-debated question of "What about the six million who didn't make it out alive?"

(10)
Mr. Jack hould,
March 18, 2008 9:09 PM

I have know all my life that one day, all living human life from all parts of the world will bow down and respect our beautiful HEBREW NATION,and the world needs to be ready for mighty changes as G-D is Victor, and the sooner we can accept HIS GIFT FOR US, this plan will becomes A HOLY NATION

(9)
Diana,
March 17, 2008 11:38 PM

To see miracles, we only need to recognize them.

Thank you for telling your family's story. I have to question your statement that there were no 'obvious miracles'. It is said that 'Coincidence is G-d's anonymity.' Sometimes the miracle is simply in the timing.

(8)
Devorah,
March 17, 2008 9:57 PM

Thank you

Beautifully written. Thank you for reminding us that G-d is always with us.

(7)
Barbara Roberts,
March 17, 2008 12:29 PM

How true.

My mother, Esther (OBM,) taught us to believe in God, know and experience Him with your every breath, your heart and soul, and He will always be there for you...How true! You must have faith to have hope...

(6)
debbie shapiro,
March 17, 2008 8:40 AM

thank you

Thank you. What a beautiful article, and so well written! It brought tears to my eyes.

(5)
philips,
March 17, 2008 1:02 AM

Why some souls were preserved and others not?

It is sad that many Jews still do not know the reasons for their sfferings!!How nice if they were aware of what Moses told their forfathers so many years back in Deutoronomy:28 and Deutoronomy 30:1-5 !!! If only Jews return to their Thorah, how much I wish!!!

(4)
Anonymous,
March 16, 2008 8:17 PM

There are many possible reasons -But The actual answer is a mystery until we get to the next worlld

Any and All Of these area a possibilty. No one can say for sure.

1. G-d wanted these people with him.2. People sinned and like the 1oth plague in Eygpt good or bad those that went out died.3. g-d gave those people the merit to die while sanctifying his name. all those that died in the holocaust are refered to as holy.4. we simply as mere human beings don't know G-ds reason.5. Mankind was being tested.6. mankind was suppossed to learn a lesson from this great tradgedy.

Wether it's one all or none of the above, it shows G-ds hand and that he is truly over us all.

(3)
Anonymous,
March 16, 2008 7:52 PM

what about the other 6 million?

You can't say that G-d saved this woman and her family and that G-d is over us all. If you say that, then why did he not save my family members and all the other innocent Jews? No if there is a G-d he was powerless in the face of human evil.

(2)
AnneRuth COHN,
March 16, 2008 1:01 PM

Fantastic Story and excellently written

(1)
Anonymous,
March 16, 2008 10:13 AM

Why some souls were preserved and others not?

God is truly over us all.

While miracles and circumstances unexplained other than that God watched over us who survived the Shoah - if "God is truly over us all" as in Shoshanna Greenspan's fortutitous family saga - would not the "all" include those children and their bubas and zaides who perished?

A segment were preserved and the large majority of European Jewry were not! How then can it be said "God is truly over us all"?